King Swallowtail Butterfly
The King Swallowtail Butterfly – Papilio thoas (Heraclides thoas)
The King Swallowtail, also called the Thoas Swallowtail is found in the southernmost United States, Mexico, Central America and South America (as far south as Argentina and Uruguay).
Adult King Swallowtails fly year round in the tropics, feeding on nectar of a variety of flowers
This is a large butterfly with a 120-130mm wingspan.
The Upperside of the forewings have diagonal yellow band of square spots in a neat row.
The Underside is pale yellow with pale blue and dark red markings. Both male and female have similar colours and patterns.
The Caterpillars resemble bird droppings to deter predators and rest exposed on leaves.